“Sahar” by Tamino
Tamino’s sophomore release in concert
BY DANIELLE CROOM
“This is my first time here,” Tamino confessed to the crowd gathered at the Fine Line. Only two days prior, his sophomore album “Sahar” was released to the public, despite Tamino starting his North American tour weeks before.
He was alone on stage, the only company being the occasional guitar tech coming to switch out instruments between songs. Seeing Tamino perform in such a small venue definitely felt surreal, especially since he will return to Europe in a couple of weeks, just in time to start a completely sold-out full band tour. To give a comparison, the Fine Line is capped at 650 people; Tamino is playing in his home country of Belgium for three nights in a row for 3,500 people.
When seeing Tamino live, from the very first note one will notice that he sounds exactly the same as on the record. And I mean exactly. Such similarity is a testament to both his skill as a performer and the minimalistic production style featured on his albums. Because of this, I occasionally drifted off in thought during the set, as if I were hearing it through headphones. Yet that is just what his music does; it is the perfect soundtrack for daydreaming. Of course, I only had the length of a song to go astray because as soon as the final note of a song finished ringing, the crowd would erupt into cheers so loud I regretted not wearing earplugs.
Tamino’s touring tech team also deserves a special shoutout: the lighting was minimal, yet it perfectly accented the swells of each song, and the sound design was similar, letting Tamino’s voice and instrumentals do the majority of the work. The sound techs occasionally added supplemental bass tones to emphasize the sound; these finishing touches were so subtle that I wouldn’t have noticed if I wasn’t listening for them, but something about the low vibrations allowed the high tones to soar.
When it comes to the album itself, “Sahar” is the perfect sequel to Tamino’s 2019 debut release, “Amir.” Although there are clear musical and lyrical themes tying the two together, “Sahar” expands beyond the bounds of any set precedent. It opens with “The Longing,” a crooning ballad accompanied by classical guitar and featuring frequent collaborator Colin Greenwood on bass.
Other highlights include “Fascination,” “The First Disciple,” and “Only Our Love,” all of which seem to tell a story of loving someone who may be naive but is also more enamored with life; someone who, when compared to the narrator, is completely outgoing and free of cynicism. These songs are more personal than what is featured in “Amir,” inviting the listener into the candlelit study of an enamored writer who stays up late composing love letters.
“Sunflower” features Angéle, another well-known Belgian singer, and a gorgeous string arrangement. It is the most produced track on the album, yet it still refrains from adding any sound that does not serve the song's purpose. On the other hand, “Drop of Blood” is played almost entirely on the oud, an eleven-stringed instrument similar to a lute.
Despite all of these beautiful songs, my personal favorite track is the last on the album, “My Dearest Friend and Enemy.” This track has such a simple melody and chord progression embedded in the verses, but the chorus modulation adds just enough variety to keep it sonically interesting while still placing emphasis on the lyrics. And, of course, the vocals include the high notes that made Tamino’s previous hits “Habibi” and “Indigo Night” so well loved.